Friday, March 15, 2013

Yaqui Delgado Wants to ...

Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass! The title grabs your attention, then the story wins your heart. Meg Medina takes a different direction with her newest title, a contemporary story with none of the magical elements found in her other novels, such as the lyrical The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind (Candlewick, 2012). Yaqui is a bully and Piddy is her victim, but one strength of this amazing book is the characterization. We get to glimpse Yaqui's frustrations as well as Piddy's responses. Refreshingly, the adult characters are as fully-realized as the YA protagonists. Piddy is by no means perfect, but she does not deserve the treatment she receives. Following her path as she avoids school, lies to teachers, lashes out at her mother, and seeks comfort with a boyfriend allows us to see parts of life many people keep hidden. Medina writes with feeling and honesty. She offers hope for targeted teens, as well as insight into their tormentors--Lucinda Whitehurst.